Independent file photo Pictured are a couple of anglers from last year’s ice fishing competition at Del Clark Lake in Canby. Both the Canby and Lake Benton Sportsmen’s Clubs have an ice fishing tournament this weekend.

Anglers are hoping for a good weekend out at area lakes, as annual ice fishing tournaments return to Canby and Lake Benton. Although the competition doesn’t start until today in Canby and Saturday in Lake Benton, organizers said some people have already picked out spots for their shelters.

“We have 42 houses already set down,” at Del Clark Lake, said Casey Namken, with the Canby Sportsmen’s Club. “I think a lot of people want to get certain spots.”

The same went for anglers on Lake Benton, said John Christensen, of the Lake Benton Sportsmen’s Club.

“There are probably about 20 (houses) already out on the ice as of right now,” he said Thursday.

With temperatures forecast to get up to about 20 degrees this weekend, organizers of the Canby and Lake Benton fishing tournaments are hoping for good turnouts.

“We’re expecting to have probably more people this year due to the weather being good,” Christensen said.

The 13th annual Lake Benton ice fishing tournament will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The seventh annual Canby ice fishing tournament kicks off with a 24-hour competition beginning at 4 p.m. today at Del Clark Lake. A two-hour fishing tournament will be from 1-3 p.m. Saturday.

Both the Canby and Lake Benton Sportsmen’s Clubs were checking on ice conditions and thickness up through this week. Christensen said ice checks on Lake Benton showed about 15 to 18 inches of ice on the lake. Namken said Thursday that ice checks had found about 15 to 16 inches of ice on Del Clark Lake, but he said it was still anglers’ responsibility to check ice thickness for themselves.

“No ice is 100% safe,” he said.

In the past few winters, it’s been hard to predict if weather conditions will create enough ice to fish on, contest organizers said.

“We’ve had such weird weather patterns,” Namken said.

The chance to do some fishing draws people from around the region to southwest Minnesota, Christensen said.

“We see people all the way from Minneapolis who come down for this,” he said. Anglers also come from neighboring states like South Dakota.

With the 24-hour fishing contest, the Canby Classic is a chance for anglers to spend the weekend fishing.

“It’s like a big camping weekend for a lot of people,” Namken said.

Organizers at both fishing contests are also giving away prizes to children who participate. It’s a chance to encourage people to try the sport, Christensen and Namken said.

One of the positive things about area ice fishing tournaments is they don’t just bring people out to the lake, organizers said. Visitors also stop at local businesses. Christensen said the Lake Benton tournament’s raffle, which is held in downtown Lake Benton, brings a lot of people into the community.

“I find it cool to see,” Namken said of the ice fishing houses and crowds arriving in Canby for the ice fishing contest. “All of our local businesses are getting a boost.”

Namken and Christensen said organizers of both tournaments appreciated the sponsors that make the events possible, as well as all the people who come to fish.